2006 MERCEDES-BENZ C55AMG wheel

40 Getting started
Adjusting
Mirrors
Adjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.Interior rear view mirror
Manually adjust the interior rear view
mirror.
For more information, see “Rear view mir-
rors” (
page 169).
Exterior rear view mirrors
Warning!G
Let the system complete the adjustment
procedure before setting the vehicle in mo-
tion. All steering wheel adjustments must be
completed before setting the vehicle in mo-
tion. Driving off with the steering wheel still
adjusting could cause the driver to lose con-
trol of the vehicle.
Warning!G
In case of an accident, liquid electrolyte may
escape the mirror housing if the mirror glass
breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.
!
Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can only be
completely removed while in their
liquid state and by applying plenty of
water.
Warning!G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
terior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.

41 Getting started
Adjusting
The buttons are located above the exterior
lamp switch.
1Adjustment button
2Passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror button
3Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
Switch on the ignition (page 33).
Press button3 for the driver’s side
exterior rear view mirror or button2
for passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror.
Push adjustment button1 up, down,
left, or right according to the desired
setting.For more information, see “Rear view mir-
rors” (
page 169).
!
If an exterior rear view mirror was
forcibly pushed forward (hit from the
rear) or forcibly pushed rearward (hit
from the front), reposition it by
applying firm pressure until it snaps
into place. The mirror housing is now
properly positioned and you can adjust
the mirror in the usual manner.
i
At low ambient temperatures, the
exterior rear view mirrors will be
heated automatically.
i
The memory function (page 111) lets
you store the settings for the exterior
rear view mirrors together with the set-
tings for the steering wheel and the
driver’s seat position.

47 Getting started
Driving
1Release handle
2Parking brake pedal
Release parking brake by pulling on
handle1.
The warning lamp; (USA only)
or3 (Canada only) in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Driving
Warning!G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.
!
If you hear a warning signal and the
message
Release parking brake ap-
pears in the multifunction display when
driving off, you have forgotten to re-
lease the parking brake.
!
Simultaneously depressing the acceler-
ator pedal and applying the brake re-
duces engine performance and causes
premature brake and drivetrain wear.
i
Once the vehicle is in motion, the auto-
matic central locking system engages
and the locking knobs drop down.
For more information, see “Automatic
central locking” (
page 103).
!
Do not run cold engine at high engine
speeds. Running a cold engine at high
engine speeds may shorten the service
life of the engine.

48 Getting started
Driving
Automatic transmission
Depress the brake pedal.
Move gear selector lever to positionD
to drive forward, or to positionR to
drive rearward.
Release the brake pedal.
Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.
Switching on headlamps
Low beam headlamps
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
Exterior lamp switch
1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
Turn exterior lamp switch to
positionB.
The low beam headlamp indicator
lampB in the instrument cluster
comes on (
page 24).
!
Wait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.
!
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP orR only when the vehicle is
stopped in order to avoid damaging the
transmission.
Warning!G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector le-
ver out ofP orN if the engine speed is high-
er than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could accel-
erate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

54 Getting started
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.Parking brake
1Release handle
2Parking brake pedal
Step firmly on parking brake pedal2.
When the engine is running, the brake
warning lamp; (USA only)
or3(Canada only) in the
instrument cluster comes on.
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
system. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle.
Warning!G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.

Firmly depress parking brake pedal.

Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.

Slowly release brake pedal.

When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.

Take the SmartKey and lock the vehicle
when leaving.

55 Getting started
Parking and locking
Switching off headlamps
Turn exterior lamp switch
toM(
page 48).
For more information, see “Lighting”
(
page 114).
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Children
could release the parking brake and/or
move the gear selector lever from
positionP, either of which could result in an
accident and/or serious injury.
Warning!G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear se-
lector lever not fully engaged in positionP is
dangerous. Also, when parked on an incline,
positionP alone may not prevent your vehi-
cle from moving, possibly hitting people or
objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP.
When parked on an incline, turn front wheel
towards the road curb.

56 Getting started
Parking and locking
Turning off engine
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0.
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
The immobilizer is activated.
Releasing seat belts
Press the seat belt release button
(
page 43).
Allow the retractor to completely
rewind the seat belt by guiding the
latch plate.
Locking
i
Always set the parking brake in addi-
tion to shifting to positionP.
On slopes, turn the front wheels
towards the road curb.
i
The SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in positionP.
!
M a k e s u r e t h e s e a t b e l t r e t r a c t s f u l l y s o
that the seat belt and/or latch plate
cannot get caught or pinched in the
door or in the seat mechanism. This
can damage the seat belt and impair
the effectiveness of the seat belt,
and/or cause damage to the door
and/or door trim panel. Such damage
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Damaged seat belts must be replaced.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Warning!G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure there is no
possibility of someone getting caught in a
door during closing.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
an accident and/or serious personal injury.

61 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Air bags
Warning!G
In the event that the1 indicator lamp
comes on during driving or does not come
on at all, the SRS self-check has detected a
malfunction. For your safety, we strongly
recommend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to have
the system checked; otherwise the SRS may
not be activated when needed in an acci-
dent, which could result in serious or fatal
injury, or it might deploy unexpectedly and
unnecessarily which could also result in
injury.
In addition, improper work on the SRS
creates a risk of rendering the SRS inopera-
tive or causing unintended air bag deploy-
ment. Work on the SRS must therefore only
be performed by qualified technicians. Con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Warning!G
Air bags are designed to reduce the poten-
tial of injury and fatality in certain frontal
impacts (front air bags), or side impacts
(front side impact air bags, rear side impact
air bags * and head protection window cur-
tain air bags). However, no system available
today can totally eliminate injuries and fatal-
ities.
The activation of the air bags temporarily
releases a small amount of dust from the
air bags. This dust, however, is neither inju-
rious to your health, nor does it indicate a
fire in the vehicle. The dust might cause
some temporary breathing difficulty for peo-
ple with asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, you may wish to get out of the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you
have any breathing difficulty but cannot get
out of the vehicle after the air bag inflates,
then get fresh air by opening a window or
door.
Warning!G
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
air bags inflate, it is very important for the
driver and front passenger to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear your
seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the backrest. Fasten
your seat belt and make sure that it is prop-
erly positioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating and hands
on steering wheel position will help to keep
you at a safe distance from the air bag.
Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the air bag can be seriously
injured or killed by an air bag as it inflates
with great force in the blink of an eye:

Sit properly belted in a nearly upright
position with your back against the seat
backrest.